The top-down approach of assigning the whole class articles by authors of historically privileged identities, and expecting students to dutifully read and reflect in writing, is an ineffective way to respect, excite, connect with, and challenge students, most especially students of identities historically marginalized in the online academy. In this article, I discuss how student-created texts can be used as an alternative to engage and affirm the humanities of students, the class, and communities beyond the classroom. Drawing upon Freirean (1970) notions of humanizing pedagogy, I explain how developing student-created texts can create space for students to center identity, values, place, and social change in their online class experience. Then, by engaging with texts created by peers, students learn from, with, and about others; therefore, fostering empathy, connection, and critically conscious inspiration among class participants. An illustrative example of student-created texts and accompanying assignments within the online higher education setting is offered. I advance the concept of student-created texts not as a universal method to simply be reproduced. Rather, Freirean humanizing necessitates radically reconstructed approaches enacted by critically conscious educators. Student-created texts may be one piece within a larger system of coursework, that when paired with critical ideology, foci, and dialog between students, professor, and community, can support online classroom communities aspiring to Freire's ideals.